In the Library
by Anonde
Summary: [completed] The purpose of this fic is to make readers feel better about Professor Zei's suicidal!decision to stay behind in the library with a murderous all knowing Spirit Being.
1. Chapter 1

Forenote: 'Kitsune' is the Japanese word for fox and also used to refer to 'fox spirits'.

---

Humans could not be trusted

My fury subsided enough for me to realize that I was as angry with myself as I was with those wretched humans.

My knowledge-seekers gathered round as I glided down from the spire to land on the cross bridge. The kitsune remained silent, waiting with a worried air as I composed myself. It would be a considerable while before I would cease to feel irked with myself for losing my temper and in turn allowing those humans to get the better of me.

I wonder why I continue to fall for human lies and trickery. I knew better yet still I permitted them to peruse my collection. Humans were not alone in committing the same mistakes again and again. Countless indeed had misused my library, and I am equally to be blamed for each time the knowledge within had been utilized for evil.

Finally, I calmed enough for one of my servants dared to approach to inform me that one of the humans had remained behind.

Anger flared once again, only to be doused when I learned that the human - the one called Professor Zei - apparently was attempting to rescue books from the chaos caused by my rampage through the library.

---

Increasingly tired and on his knees, Zei fought off exhaustion as, with a whisk broom and dust pan in hand, he carefully swept sand off a torn scroll. Behind him, in careful rows on the floor, lay books and scrolls he had salvaged from underneath sand and splintered wood.

A large forboding shadow fell across him. Nervously, a lump of cold fear forming in his stomach, Zei raised his head to find Wan Shi Tong with a pack of his knowledge-seekers watching him.

---

Truly, I no longer had patience left to deal with the human. Though I despise his kind, I neither wish to hurt nor kill him or any of his companions. I had only desired to scare them away, terrify them enough to never wish to return to my library. I understood why they needed the information, and even allowed them to have what they had came here for. What had angered me actually was that they thought their cause more righteous, more noble than that of their foes.

Humans could be such hypocrites.

Just as I was about to order the kitsune to throw the professor out of my study, without warning - he threw himself at my feet, saying out loud, "Oh Great Knowledge Spirit, I offer myself as your most humble servant."

I confess the human's declaration had momentarily rendered me speechless.

"Humans are not worthy to be my servants." was my reply.

All too obviously, it was not what he had expected to hear for he raised his head once again and looked up to my face with a most puzzled expression on his own.

I bade my knowledge-seekers to show the professor the way out but his next statement caused the ears of the kitsune to perk up with interest.

"Then, please grant me the honor of becoming your assistants' servant."

This human was being ridiculous. "No."

And stubborn. "I am a good cook," he addressed my knowledge-seekers with an ingratiating smile.

Now irritated, I ordered the kitsune to remove the impertinent human from my library. Much to my consternation, they all looked up to me and whimpered their reluctance to follow my bidding.

Not wishing to argue with my assistants in front of the upstart professor, I turned my attention instead to the damage I had wrought while pursuing them earlier. Without looking at him, I knew astonishment had come across his face when with just a wave of my left wing - sand trickled away, bookshelves repaired themselves, paper mended on their own and books and scrolls returned on their own volition to their proper places.

I heard the human stumble to his feet and in a voice filled with genuine wonder and relief, he extolled reverent praises of me and of my magic. Though I was quite aware that vanity was one of my follies, I was beginning to feel lenient towards him.

However, he then asked, "Why didn't you repair the Fire Nation wing?"

---

Zei only had a moment's warning - a flash of fury in the Knowledge Spirit's eyes - before he lunged at Zei, intending to bite the hapless professor into two with his beak.

But reacting just as quickly and a second sooner, Wan Shi Tong's assistants reached Zei before their master.

Zei cried out in fear when one of the foxes jumped at him; its front paws striking Zei's chest with enough force to knock the professor back to fall and to land unexpectedly on fur, on the backs of the other foxes who speedily took the professor away from their furious master.

---

I unfurled my wings, about to give chase but the knowledge-seeker, who had saved the human by knocking him back, crouched before me with a submissive whimper.

Somewhere inside of me, I knew I had lost myself to anger once again. Vaguely, I was aware that I wasn't myself, and it was enough to keep me from pursuing the human and his rescuers.

Yet still, I remained angered by my assistants' betrayal and heard myself roar at the sole kitsune.

"SO BE IT! BUT MAKE CERTAIN HE DOES NOT EVER CROSS MY PATH OR I WILL KILL HIM!"

---

So many questions crowded Zei's mind concerning the Knowledge Spirit's conflicting actions that, being the proper scientist that he was, he found himself trying and failing to jot down those same questions in his journal whilst still on the knowledge-seekers' backs in mid-escape. When he finally realized he couldn't write while they were moving, he replaced the journal back into his pack and proceeded with mental notes instead.

_First, why did the Knowledge Spirit become so angry (to the point of wishing to eliminate me) when I asked him why he hadn't used magic to repair the burnt out section of his library?_

_Second, instead of eliminating me or turning me into one of his fox-assistants (as I had hoped for) when I offered to serve him, he ordered his knowledge-seekers to show me the way out. Does this mean, despite nearly killing me, the Avatar and his friends, he hadn't intended to do so? This is most puzzling indeed but I had wondered why he hadn't called for his knowledge-seekers to assist him in eliminating us-_

Zei had no choice but to stop making mental notes as all of the sudden, the knowledge-seekers, as one, halted in their tracks. Inertia however bade for Zei to keep on moving and thus - he flew off their backs and crashed headlong into a large heavy wooden door; in the next instant, flipping over against it to assume an upside spread-eagled position before sliding down to rest on the floor in a most unusual and awkward position for a human being to be in.

When he didn't move, the kitsune made worried noise amongst themselves. One fox peeled off from the pack to move close to the human in order to examine him. Relief descended upon them when it discovered that the human had only been knocked unconscious, not killed as they had feared.

Hurriedly, the door was opened and the human dragged inside, into the kitchen.

---

To be continued.

Endnote: Please leave a review.


	2. Chapter 2

Forenote: Summerstar, thank you - yes, I love nitpicks. 3 3 3 Have fixed the error and re-uploaded Chapter 1. whennerdscollide - You're the second person to say to me that professors are not good cooks. )

'Kitsune' is the Japanese word for fox and also used to refer to 'fox spirits'. Also, there's additional character and episode information over at the official Nick AtLA site which I based upon when writing this story.

On reviews - every review will be appreciated, and you don't have to have a ffnet account to leave a review.

---

Zei woke up to a throbbing headache and found himself lying on what felt to be a pile of hay. Before his hazy vision loomed an unfamiliar ceiling with sinuous moldings cast in a slightly greenish light.

… _Where am I?_ The professor wondered and winced for even the mere act of thinking caused the pain centered about the top of his skull to worsen. Vaguely, he remembered flying and colliding headfirst into a very solid object.

All of a sudden and most alarmingly, he felt nauseous. His right hand stole up towards his face, to cover his mouth while his left pushed against the yielding hay, struggling to elevate his upper torso into an upright position.

In a panic, he looked around hurriedly for a basin, a sink, a patch of grass to throw up upon and instead saw before him - numerous pairs of dark eyes alit with quizzical concern betwixt pairs of pointed ears and pointed black noses, which wrinkled in distaste when Zei emptied the meager contents of his stomach onto the clean kitchen floor.

Cool sweat beaded on his brow, his arms, on his back, all over him. In the deep recesses of his mind, Zei realized with a pang of additional worry that he must drink some water and soon, lest he risk suffering the debilitating effects of dehydration in addition to his head injury.

He forced himself to look up from the disgusting sight of his vomit on to meet the stares of the knowledge-seekers. Abruptly, Zei remembered that they had saved him from the wrath of their master, the Knowledge Spirit Wan Shi Tong.

_I am in Wan Shi Tong's Library_, Zei recalled with a start and shortly after felt besieged by uncertainty for he couldn't yet decide whether to feel heartened that he remained ensconced within his life's greatest ambition or be fearful for his life for the library's host had since twice threatened to do away with Zei and had twice attempted to kill him.

The Head of the Anthropology Department at Ba Seng Se University surprised and appeased his rescuers' annoyance (with the mess he had caused) when Zei smiled most gratefully to them and, in a fervent voice, thanked them for saving him.

---

Zei had learned all that he could about the Library of Wan Shi Tong. All that he had to go on upon were mostly hearsay, legends and folklore. Perhaps the best evidence that the mythical edifice actually existed was an ancient rendering of the Library of which Zei had painstakingly made a copy of and which was widely regarded across the Earth Kingdom as merely the unknown artist's personal idea of what the structure resembled.

That the Library was supposedly located in the Si Wong Desert - 'The Desert of the Dead' - only caused scholars to relegate it as a fable rather than an immense archaeological find just waiting to be discovered. Zei, though well-aware of the glory to be bestowed on whoever found Wan Shi Tong's long-lost library, hunted for the Library for most of his life neither for the rewards wealthy sponsors would bestow upon him nor for the recognition illustrious peers and colleagues would grant unto him.

His reason to discover its whereabouts was simply as the Water Tribe warrior had uttered as an answer to Wan Shi Tong's question – 'Knowledge for knowledge's sake'.

As he drank the water the knowledge-seekers brought to him, as he rested and healed from his injury, when he realized and accepted with whole-hearted amusement that Knowledge Spirit's assistants indeed expected of him to serve as their cook as he had offered to – the professor remained unaware that it had been his genuine desire and need to learn all that he could which drew the kitsune unto his side, even to the point of disobeying their master outright, compelling them to save his life.

Wan Shi Tong had arranged for his assistants to not only to seek out old tomes, scrolls and such forgotten by their human owners, but also to assist the patrons of his vast library in searching out the information they sought. Hence, the kitsune not only seek out knowledge but were too drawn to assist those who sought out knowledge with passion and with the right intentions.

They couldn't help but be fond of such humans, whose kind were responsible for practically everything contained in the Library and who were the most curious of all living beings. It had been because of the kitsune that the Avatar and his friends had found out about the solar eclipse. It had been because of them that the Dragon of the West learned of a way into the Spirit World in order to see his beloved son for one last time. It had been because of the kitsune that one Ba Seng Se University professor finally found his life's ambition and because of them – he managed to survive his discovery.

To the kitsune, that the human was a good cook was merely an added incentive to save him.

---

Though his servants made certain the human kept out of his way by confining said human to the kitchen and keeping him happy by delivering the books he requested, Wan Shi Tong grew more annoyed with each passing day that the professor stayed within his library. The kitsune, privy to their master's moods, in turn grew more worried in direct relation and inversely felt less confident of their ability to keep Zei safe from their master's short temper.

Zei, blissfully ignorant of his impending doom, happily went through book after book after book, only showing momentary annoyance when the kitsune remind him when it was time to prepare for their meals and his. When engrossed in his reading, Zei (still a human, not yet a spirit) quite forgot that he required nourishment as well.

Understanding that the Knowledge Spirit may still be upset with him, Zei didn't protest his having to be restricted to the kitchen, which strangely enough – was better-illuminated than the other areas of the library he'd been to and even more so than the planetarium, when showing daytime and no solar eclipse.

The kitchen too felt airy due to the multiple large vents in the ceiling.

The vents puzzled Zei, who wondered how they could open out into open air when the library was completely buried. Had the kitchen chamber's ceiling not been so high and remained out of his reach even if he stood one of the cupboards, he would have stuck his head into one of them in order to examine the airway

Along one wall stood floor-to-ceiling windows which showed only compacted sand dimly lit by the reflected light of phospherant crystals. The luminescent crystals lined the window edges and crossed the ceiling and walls, making the kitchen so well-lit that Zei actually found it more difficult to fall asleep than stay awake.

Perhaps the most surprising feature of the kitchen was the north wall, though Zei wasn't completely certain it was the north wall, whereupon were columns of holes in the shape of archs. They were the openings of the burrows wherein the kitsune slept.

From the burrow three holes up and four holes from the right, a drowsy black-furred kitsune poked its head out. It blinked and yawned widely before jumping down to the floor whereupon it squatted on its haunches, lifted its right hind leg to scratch at an itch behind its right ear for several seconds before yawning yet again. Then, it stood on all fours, stretched long and walked over to the professor, seated against the wall, between two windows, and as usual – engrossed in a very thick book.

Zei felt a poke against his right upper arm and absent-mindedly extended his right arm out to pat the kitsune on its head. When he stopped, the kitsune made a soft whimper and wagged its tail when Zei continued patting its head. When he stopped again, it lifted its left paw and lightly struck the professor on his right shoulder.

Unable to keep his attention on his reading, Zei let out a soft sigh and gave the kitsune a mock glare. A soft chuckle escaped him when the kitsune pretended to be cowed by flicking its ears back and low against its head.

"All right, all right," said Zei with a smile, barely placing his book aside on the floor when already the kitsune was making itself comfortable on his lap. Contentment hummed through its small lithe form as the professor rubbed its head, its neck and back and scratched it underneath its chin. At times, the knowledge-seekers strongly reminded Zei of pets rather than the magical untouchable creatures they had been described to be in legends.

Judging by the number of burrows and from his observations that much more than one kitsune shared the same burrow, there appeared to be a few hundred knowledge-seekers, most of who were apparently on assignment – searching out more additions for the library. Their absense was a bringer of much relief to the professor, who already felt quite strained to have to prepare meals enough to satisfy the appetites of about two dozen kitsune at a time.

While stroking the kitsune's fur, Zei found himself wondering how the kitsune accessed and exited the library, now that the structure was completely buried underneath the sand. Soon however, the professor was worrying more of just how much cooking he would need to do should more kitsune arrive from the outside.

Though Zei thought himself quick-witted for recalling a bit of information he had once read which suggested that the knowledge-seekers enjoyed food treats, of cooked meat most especially - he was having second thoughts of committing himself to cater to the kitsune's wishes. He had failed to realize just how many they were though he should had thought of it, especially considering the immense size of the library.

_Oh well. What's done is done_, thought Zei with a small amount of weary regret. Yet after the kitsune on his lap had dozed off, Zei completely forgot about his troubles as he immersed himself back into his book.

---

The presence of the human in his library had occupied his mind to the point he failed to remember the damage he had caused in the planetarium. Its door had been closed, undoubtedly by one of his kitsune, for he had taught them to close doors, most especially to chambers such as the planetarium when no longer in use. The closed door hid away the damage from his eyes during his library rounds, and he forgot it had been in that chamber wherein he lost his temper with the Avatar and his companions.

Just as he was about to use magic to open the door, he realized with abrupt renewed anger that the humans couldn't have gained access into planetarium had not a kitsune assisted them by opening the door for them.

---

The kitsune had fled into their burrows; Zei trembled against the pantry door on the other side of the kitchen. He watched with ever-increasing horror as the Knowledge Spirit used its beak to break open one of the burrows. Zei didn't understand. He had been reading with the black kitsune asleep on his lap when it suddenly woke, its ears swiveling in alarm and hearing something Zei couldn't.

Curious, the professor had set aside his book again. As he did so, kitsune, one after another, ran into the kitchen through the holes which lined the bottom of the wall separating the kitchen from the hallway outside. Clearly frightened, they scurried into their burrows. The black kitsune, in turn, ran off Zei's lap just as the large kitchen doors burst open and revealed the frightful sight of the Knowledge Spirit, enraged.

Zei, fearing for his life, had forced himself to his feet and ran for the nearest door. In his panic, he stumbled, falling painfully to his hands and knees and had crawled the rest of the way, expecting at any second for the Knowledge Spirit to bite him into two. The grinding sound of rock giving way and a sharp terrified yip caused him to look back. Confused relief clashed with terror when he realized that Wan Shi Tong was after the knowledge-seekers.

There was simply no time to think, to determine why the lord of the library was so angry with his assistants. There wasn't even time for Zei to worry about what may happen to him after the Knowledge Spirit was done with the kitsune. With the next powerful jab with his beak, a portion of the kitsune burrow wall collapsed and the black kitsune, whose burrow Wan Shi Tong was specifically destroying, leaped from the ruined wall and landed ungainly on the floor to run, yelping, to cower behind Zei's feet.

The professor froze, absolute terror coursing throughout his entire being as the Spirit turned and gazed upon him with malevolent black eyes.

---

I should had realized long ago that the kitsune had been conspiring against me. Time and time again, humans continued to find the knowledge they sought in little time in the immense collection of knowledge within my library. I should have realized the kitsune had been assisting humans. I should had known that my command to them to never assist humans again had not been enough for long ago – I had trained them to assist patrons in seeking out the knowledge they desired and for hundreds of years, they had done exactly that.

Deep inside of me, I knew it was partly my fault that the kitsune had only followed their instincts and their training. I knew they had not intended to betray me, yet the realization was obscured by fury, which grew more powerful and harder to control each time I lost myself to anger. All I sought now to do was to punish the kitsune and make an example of the one which had helped the Avatar and his companions… and to also do away with the human the kitsune had kept me from killing.

I could sense the human's absolute fear and the knowledge of it exhilarated me. As I took a step towards my prey however, the human suddenly and most unexpectedly, in a tremulous voice asked of me to forgive the kitsune.

---

Despite his fear and his desire to continue living, the last thing Zei wanted was for the kitsune to suffer for saving him and helping the Avatar and his friends find the information they sought in order to stop the Fire Nation. Zei wasn't certain that the kitsune's disobedience was what caused the Knowledge Spirit to be so furious now, but what else could have triggered his anger.

Despite he was now shaking so badly, he could have sworn he could hear his kneecaps knock against each other, Zei remembered what he had learned from the very first book the kitsune had brought to him after they had enjoyed the first meal he had prepared for them.

"They cannot help themselves," he said, his tone pleading as he addressed the Knowledge Spirit now eyeing him narrowly. Zei swallowed nervously and decided to take it as a favorable sign that he was still alive. Behind Zei's feet, the black kitsune whimpered as the professor stepped away from it and moved slowly until he stood before its master.

"Oh Great Knowledge Spirit, please remember. Please remember you had intended for your kitsune to help those who seek knowledge. You knew your vast collection of knowledge would be useless if its patrons could not find the information they sought easily. Knowledge itself is useless if it is not learned or used for good. That is why you taught your knowledge-seekers to not only add new knowledge to your library but also to assist-"

"ENOUGH!" Enormous claws destroyed the floor on Zei's left before knocking the professor back to fall on his side. Zei struggled to get up, but the Spirit pinned him down with those same claws. Zei's vision turned blurry as the Spirit applied pressure, cutting off the human's blood supply and forcing air from his chest.

---

I should had killed this human, should had done it before. I shouldn't have let the kitsune stop me then. Killing the human they had rescued should teach them a lesson. They would never betray me again and never help another human escape from me ever again.

The human raised his face towards me; his eyes, wide and filled with tears, pain and fear of me. Without warning, I found myself hesitating, but it was not the despair in his eyes which gave me pause. It was the reflection of my eyes in his. My eyes, narrowed in rage, seemed too to show despair.

Confusion overwhelmed me unexpectedly. Abruptly, I lifted my claw and heard the human choke in air before falling silent.

---

To be continued.

Endnote: Please leave a review.


	3. Chapter 3

Forenote: Thanks much to everyone who reviewed the story so far. Effie's Head, I have re-uploaded chapter 2. (sighs at ffnet for not allowing ascii smilies)

---

_My name is Wan Shi Tong, which means 'He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things', which perhaps you may not consider enough for one refered to as the Spirit of Knowledge._

_It all depends on what one classifies as 'one thing'. For one thing, I know the names of all the stars in the night sky and of every single living and unliving thing on this earth. Yet another 'one thing' which I know of is every language ever spoken and written in._

_Do you understand now why I am called Wan Shi Tong? _

---

Amongst the tomes in the kitchen, I found my journal written so long ago it was even older than my library. I heard the kitsune quail in their burrows as I caused my journal to rise from where it had been secreted beneath the pile of hay they had prepared as a bed for the human.

_How simple-minded they were now… Do they not know there are beds in the chamber just adjacent to the kitchen? … Ah yes… they did not wish to chance me seeing the human going to and fro from the kitchen._

Amusement filtered through my mind as I wondered how the human had managed to take care of his daily rituals whilst ensconced in the kitchen. _… With a bucket perhaps?_

Though I was no longer angry, the kitsune remained frightened and stayed within their burrows. None emerged when I ordered for them to tend to the unconscious human.

It was not long before I realized I would have to see to the professor's well-being myself.

I had chosen to forget the last time I had been in my human form though I had not forgotten how to assume it. While my form changed and shifted, I found myself musing if the kitsune remembered my human form. It had been such long time that they may had forgotten of it.

I knelt by the fallen professor in order to examine him. Slowly, I felt for broken bones; my own hands felt alien and yet at the same time - very familiar. The discovery that the human had merely passed out triggered a strange emotion within me. It took a while before I realized that it was relief.

How strange that at this human's words, I would begin to remember so clearly that once I admire his kind to the point of preferring their company to that of my fellow denizens of the Spirit World. Of my own volition, I had become one of them.

The human professor hadn't seemed... much to me. Plain in appearance, hardly distinguishing and only too obviously desperate to locate my library. I had known of many others of his kind far more interesting, intelligent and determined.

He had simply been fortunate to happen to be acquainted with the Avatar, who in this lifetime was an airbender with a Sky Bison. With one of those creatures, it would had only been a matter of time before the library spire had been seen. The Air Nomads' command of the sky had been one of the main reasons why they, not Earth Kingdom nor the Water Tribes, been the first the Fire Nation had attacked and destroyed wholly in this current and latest folly caused by humans... and which I bear some fault of because of my library.

Numbing pain suddenly filled me, and most abruptly - I remembered one of the reasons why long ago I chose never again to take human form. In it, I was far more susceptible to difficult emotions than in my spirit form. Instinct compelled me to change back, but as I stood up from the human professor's side, he made a distressed noise in his sleep.

Guilt was the next emotion to follow, and it kept me in this form. I busied myself with tending to the human and in order to keep myself from dwelling on the misery I had helped caused in this world.

I had intended for my library to shelter the wealth of human knowledge and allow humanity to have easy access to its vast store. I had time and time again witnessed humanity make wondrous discoveries, only to have it forgotten when destruction or disinterest or mismanagement or thievery befell their libraries, which to me were mortal and vulnerable as human beings were.

I had meant my library as a gift. Yet it has been used time and time again to destroy. That was not what it was and had been meant for. It was not supposed to assist humans in killing their own kind.

And slowly, I remembered I did not desire to kill either.

---

Zei woke up with a start and a mere second after, fell back with a pained gasp. His upper torso felt as though it were one massive bruise.

Vaguely, as though from a distance, he heard someone say, "That you are in pain is a good sign. It means you are still alive." The voice sounded familiar but for the moment, he couldn't identify who spoke it. Slowly, flinching with every motion, he turned his head towards the speaker, which his worryingly blurry vision showed to him as a distinctively human silhouette.

That there was another human in this place filled Zei with such absolute joy that it rang clear in his tone as he said out loud with little thinking, "Thank the Spirits... I'm so glad there is another person in here."

Silence greeted his statement, but a delirious Zei paid it no mind as he struggled unsuccessfully to sit up on the bed. Later, he would wonder why he now had a proper bed, but for the time being he was a great deal more curious about his newfound human companion.

"A little help please," he said, smiling at the stranger he still couldn't see very well. The other man hesitated for so long that Zei was about to repeat his request for assistance when he drew near and helped the professor to sit up. After he had done so, he tried to pull away but Zei held on fast to his arm as though fearful he would vanish.

"The Knowledge Spirit is not close by, is he?" asked Zei of him in a low voice filled with much fear.

"... He is." The affirmative answer caused Zei to looked around the sleeping chamber in such a state of panic that he nearly fell off the bed, compelling the other man to calm him down.

"I meant 'Yes, he is not close by'."

"Are you certain?" squeaked Zei. Had his sight been clear then, he would had noticed the nonplussed expression that came across the other man's face but momentarily as his aquiline features settled into an annoyed and exasperated facade before softening ever so slightly and acquiring a tinge of guilt.

Zei wasn't assured when the stranger said to him that he was safe.

"There is no place in his library where we are safe from him!"

Silence once again fell in the room and soon to be broken by Zei who suddenly remembered his manners, saying, "Oh, pardon me. I am Professor Zei, Head of Anthropology at Ba Seng Sei University. And you are?"

"... Hui."

Unknown to Zei, the other man's black eyes widened in sheer shock when the professor (obviously still not quite recovered from his most recent traumatic experience with the Knowledge Spirit who had thrice almost killed him) embraced Hui and gave heartfelt thanks to whatever Spirits may be listening that they were both still alive.

---

I had just been about to force the human away from me when he let his arms fall on their own. He turned embarrassed and mumbled apologies to me.

"I am sorry, Hui. I do not know what came over me," he said, brushing imaginary dirt from my garb as though he thought he had dirtied it.

I moved away to get out of his reach, and renewed fear turned his complexion pale once more.

"Please don't leave me!" he cried and moved to follow after me. He got off the bed, only to collapse to the floor when his limbs gave way underneath him. I closed my eyes as I had felt the beginnings of a headache.

Seeing him struggle to get back to his feet, I felt as though I had no alternative but to assist him once again. And which I did, much to be my growing annoyance with own self for it seemed as though my human form acted without my direction. It was a troubling thought, but I chose to reserve the matter for another time. I had to deal with the human professor now.

Once he was lying on the bed again, I ordered him to stay there.

"Promise first you'll stay with me," he begged, rendering me speechless once again. What is it about this human that he could and repeatedly dumbfound me? I am the Knowledge Spirit. Nothing should surprise me yet he continues to bewilder me to the point of inarticulation. It is inconcei-

The idiot was smiling at me. I felt my human face frown at him. What was he thinking of? And why was he smiling?

As though he read my thoughts, he suddenly said, "You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen."

I simply could not believe he had said that and even more surprising - blood had rushed up to my face at his statement.

I refused to turn away as he continued to look at me with that ridiculous smile on his face. I was not embarrassed.

I rebuked him to go to sleep. For the moment, it was the only thing I could think to say. This lack of verbal and even mental coherence of mine had to cease immediately.

As I made my way towards the door, I heard the idiot falling out of the bed yet again and and felt my face form a wince.

Fighting down the very human impulse to sigh, I turned back to him and wondered why I persisted in this most preposterous charade of being a human being for the sake of the human's emotional well-being. Clearly, the thought of another of his kind keeping him company in my library was a source of great comfort to him. However, I was most certainly under no obligation to set his mind at ease.

He was sitting on the floor and still smiling at me. It was such a foolish-looking smile that the sight of it caused my temper to strain to breaking point. Yet, when he begged of me again to stay with him, I chose not to reveal to the imbecile my true identity and instead, of all recourses to take - including wiping that smile off his face by ending his insignificant life then and there - I replied to him in the affirmative.

"Promise?" he immediately said, now beaming joyously at me.

Of the two of us, I found it most difficult to decide who was the more absurd.

---

Endnote: 'Hui' is a Chinese name which means wise or clever. As always, please leave a review and let me know if you feel less worried about Zei being stuck in the library.


	4. Chapter 4

Fore Note: There's a bit that is inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit'. Let me know if you spot it. Also, a lot of thanks to Retad and StoryBender and Helium Lost and Kata Geisha.

This is the last chapter. Please leave a review, okay?

---

The kitsune remained fearful of me for days after. Their burrows were empty when I returned to the kitchen to undo the damage I had caused in my anger and to retrieve the human's belongings, for still to my annoyance - I could not bring myself to simply throw the professor out of my library without first allowing him the means to survive the trek out of the Si Wong Desert.

As water refilled the pouches, I sensed my assistants observing me in secret. Without turning their way, I knew they were startled when I ordered for one of their number to lead the human to the nearest settlement.

Though I was no longer angry, I could not trust the human, any human. Their kind not only misused knowledge but sought to destroy it as well.

Humans simply could not be trusted.

In their hiding places, the kitsune quailed in renewed fear as palpable fury took hold of me yet again. Against my will, I recalled how the entire wing housing the knowledge gleaned from the Fire Nation had been destroyed by the very citizens of that same country.

"Why didn't you repair the Fire Nation wing?" the human professor had asked. Such a simple question yet managing to trigger such profound rage in me for it brought to mind the same helpless anger which overcame me when I discovered the firebenders' betrayal.

I remembered the kitsune's mournful cries neath the roar of the fire; hungry flames everywhere turning every bookcase, every shelf, every tome, every page into ashes. Though I knew and remembered every portion, every modicum of knowledge ever added, ever donated to my library - I could not undo the destruction the firebenders had wrought. My power to restore, to shelter knowledge did not extend to recover that which others had thought too dangerous and thus willfully destroyed.

When the human reminded me of that particular painful limitation of mine, truly - I had every intent to kill him.

---

Zei woke up from a most surreal dream of finding another person in the library to finding himself lying underneath a lean-to in the middle of the desert under a moonlit night sky.

Still weak, his long sleep barely restful, the professor didn't notice the gray kitsune curled up against his side nor that the lean-to which shielded them both from the biting cold desert wind was actually a slab of rock rising at an angle out of the desert sand.

The kitsune woke up when Zei slowly began pushing himself to sit up on the tarp beneath them. The blanket lying over him fell down to his waist as he did so.

"Oh, hello," said Zei softly to the kitsune when it yipped a greeting, and in the long moments that passed next - he did nothing other than pet the knowledge-seeker's head in meditative fashion. His mind seemed soothingly blank though, soon enough and with growing dread, he began to remember.

The library, the terrible sight of the furious Knowledge Spirit, its claws pinning Zei to the floor and forcing life out of him. The kitsune looked worriedly as Zei pulled his hand away from its skull to cover his face as he sought fruitlessly to drive back the nightmarish memory of bottomless black eyes reflecting Zei's own frightened face.

Am I dead...? ... I am not dead. Zei did not know how long he just sat there, covering his face, when all of sudden his four-legged companion barked at him once, twice, thrice until finally the kitsune got up on all fours, bit down on Zei's sleeve and pulled the professor's right hand away from his face.

When finally the kitsune got Zei's bewildered attention, it let go of Zei's sleeve, barked at the professor once more, spun around once before assuming a playful crouch and succeeded in drawing a tired chuckle from the beleagured professor.

"You are correct, I suppose. I should at least be thankful I am still alive," Zei said wryly to the kitsune, which wagged its tail to show its agreement. Its expression turned quizzical when Zei, who could only think that the kitsune had saved him yet again from their master's wrath, thanked it all of sudden.

"I am sorry for causing so much trouble," said Zei, trying to keep pain and disappointment out of his voice. He could not help but be devastated that Wan Shi Tong had deemed him unworthy to stay in the library.

As his vision turned hazy, Zei heard the kitsune let out a plaintive noise before he felt its nose nudge gently against his arm. Unsuccessfully, the professor attempted to hide his tears by turning his face away from the worried kitsune and instead towards the eastern horizon, still dark.

In a muffled voice, Zei observed that there should still be several hours before daybreak.

"Well, I best get going," he said as cheerfully as he could in a leaden tone. "When in the desert, it is best to travel during the night."

The kitsune whimpered; Zei couldn't tell whether it agreed or disagreed with him. He managed to get to his feet without untoward delay; small relief coming over him when he spotted his backpack and the rest of his gear close by. The waterpouches were full and enough food rations to last a while.

Despite all that had happened, Zei felt his chances to survive the Si Wong Desert were high. This certainly wasn't the first time he had nearly lost his life in the infamous Desert of the Dead.

When he was set to travel, Zei noticed that the kitsune appeared keen to travel with him and confirmed that supposition when it followed him out of the stone lean-to.

Its ears flicked back against its skull in confusion when Zei, in an unusually gruff tone, told it to return to the library. He didn't wish for any of the kitsune to suffer being on their master's bad side; the Knowledge Spirit had made it all too clear that he despised humans and disliked the idea of his assistants assisting them.

"I appreciate your wishing to accompany me, but I will be fine on my own. I have already caused you and the others enough trouble with your master," said Zei. He repeated, his tone more stern, when the kitsune indicated with an upraised paw that it still wished to follow him.

But Zei couldn't stay mulish with the kitsune for long. Its tail wagged slowly; its eyes closing in delight when the professor bent over to rub its brow, whispering to it sadly that he would miss it and other knowledge-seekers.

"I am very sorry I couldn't stay," he said, pulling back his hand and straightening his posture with determination. He had a long trek ahead of him. But the kitsune refused to leave him and instead sat down on its haunches and continued to gaze up at him with mournful dark eyes.

Finally, with a sigh and wrestling down bitter failure, Zei, still shaking his head, unwillingly allowed a small but genuine smile to come over his face.

"Hmm...? Why do I get the feeling you are waiting for me to give you a treat?" Zei remarked, his smile widening when kitsune's face assumed an expression of vague insult. A laugh escaped from Zei when the knowledge-seeker barked at him, sounding rather miffed and giving the utmost impression that it was reprimanding the professor for thinking it didn't genuinely wish to assist him.

The kitsune's annoyance turned into approval when the professor pretended to be cowed and apologized to it most profusely for doubting its generosity. There was no more complaint from Zei as it accompanied him across the desert, only reluctantly leaving the professor's company when they reached the Misty Palms Oasis after several long days 'neath the torrid desert sun and freezing cold nights.

It cheered up, its dark eyes alit when Zei told it that it and the other kitsune would always be welcomed to visit at his home at Ba Seng Se.

"I'll have treats for you and the others."

At his promise, the kitsune yipped joyously at him. The pure happy sound detered sadness for a few moments when, in the next blink of an eye, the kitsune vanished without a trace from Zei's side.

---

From the once-celebrated oasis, Zei returned to Ba Seng Se without further incident and, as always, disappointed his colleague and lifelong rival Professor Tanish who had ambitions to replace Zei as Head of Anthropology at Ba Seng Se University.

Tanish didn't even bother to be tactful and conceal his disappointment that Zei had yet again somehow survived the perils of the Si Wong Desert.

"Either you're a favorite of Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune, or the Si Wong Desert should be renamed into 'The desert that is not as dangerous as it's said to be'," mused Tanish; his lanky frame leaning with lazy grace against Zei's desk as the latter finalized his syllabus for the year.

Each year, Zei spent the spring break attempting to locate the legendary Spirit Library, and each year he barely made it back to the university in time for the beginning of the new school year. This year was an exception, for he was actually a week earlier than usual.

Knowing all too well that Tanish was attempting to annoy him, Zei looked up from the unrolled scroll on his desk, gave the other professor a small polite smile before returning his attention to work. Very much aware of the younger professor's ambitions, Zei didn't begrudge Tanish his numerous attempts to assume Zei's position. He knew Tanish to be a most capable expert in their shared field of Anthropology, which was a secondary interest of Zei while it was the Tanish's foremost area of discipline.

Zei had actually vied for the position of Head of the Department of Archaelogy but had instead been awarded Anthropology as the Administration thought his fervent interest in the legendary Library of Wan Shi Tong too fanciful and that he may misuse university resources to further his search for the mythical structure should he receive tenure as Head of Archaelogy.

"You know, Zei... if you resign, you can spend all your time hunting for your library."

Zei almost winced at Tanish's suggestion, but his brush never ceased its movements across the scroll. "It is not 'my' library," he corrected the other professor in an offhand manner. He didn't even want to consider the idea of the Knowledge Spirit's library referred to as belonging to any other than to the aforementioned. It seemed suicidal.

"Oh, of course. Of course," said Tanish with a sigh before ceasing his attempts to annoy the senior professor. He would have to be patient and wait another year for Zei to undergo another excursion into the Si Wong Desert.

Chaffing with little concealed impatience, Tanish excused himself and left Zei's office without learning that there wouldn't be another library excursion for Zei ever again.

---

The Knowledge Spirit's dismissal of him continued to weigh heavily on Zei's conscious despite numerous attempts on his part to ease his failure with constant reminders that he had at least stayed in the library for two weeks. It was already a tremendous honor, a once in a lifetime opportunity to even just set a foot inside the library.

Zei hadn't yet informed any of his colleagues, Tanish most especially, that he had already found Wan Shi Tong's long-thought-a-myth Library. He chose to keep it secret for he hadn't any physical proof that he had found it. He had not a book nor a scroll nor any material from the library.

However, the Avatar and his friends could vouch that the library did existed. With their testimonials, with Avatar Aang's in particular, Zei could formulate a credible report to his superiors. He had heard that the young Avatar and his friends were currently housed in the Royal Palace.

As soon as he had finalized and submitted his syllabus, as well as dealt with the paperwork that any head of a university department must endure, Zei began in earnest to plan as to how to meet with the Avatar. It was not as simple as it sounded; the list of notable personages awaiting an opportunity to call upon the Avatar was lengthy indeed.

Zei, though Head of Anthropology at Ba Seng Se University, was simply not an impressive enough figure in society to warrant even a place on that list of people deemed worthy to meet with the Avatar. It didn't help that he knew Avatar Aang and his companions personally. The chamberlain in charge of screening whom may be allowed to see the Avatar had heard one too many stories of how this or that unworthy (in his eyes) had once met the Avatar during his travels.

Fortunately, patience was a virtue Zei possessed in abundance. He was confident that he would find a way to meet with the Avatar. In the meantime, he had much to occupy his time. He had lectures to conduct, papers to grade, adjutant professors to supervise, an entire department to manage and in what little spare time he had left over - he spent on his 'magnum opus'- a book which he had worked upon for as long as he had searched for his life's ambition and into which he had compiled all known information about the Spirit Library.

---

Zei knew only that it was late when he felt his eyes itch. Suppressing the urge to rub at his tired eyes for both his hands were stained with charcoal, he instead forced himself to stand from his desk and go into the kitchen to wash his hands and face.

Ever since he returned to Ba Seng Se, he had been sketching the library's vast interior from memory. 'Attempting to sketch' was more accurate as his last sight of the Knowledge Spirit's terrible countenance kept interfering in his efforts.

In addition, Zei greatly missed the kitsune's company - to date, he'd produced more portraits of the knowledge-seekers than library interior sketches. He had even drawn out the features of the human he had dreamt was in the library with him.

He was still drying his face when he heard someone knock at the front door. His hands froze in mid-wipe, with the towel against his chin, Zei leaned sideways through the kitchen doorway and stared with a furrowed brow at the door.

Who could be calling after midnight?

When there was not another knock, Zei decided that he had just imagined hearing someone (he was very tired after all) and had just resumed drying his face when again - he heard someone knocking at his door.

Towel still to his chin, he approached the front door cautiously and called out, "Who's there?"

The professor's eyes turned round when he heard an answering bark. Hurriedly, he reached the door and opened it to see a kitsune of dusky somewhat greenish fur sitting rather primly on the step.

A long silence followed wherein Zei just goggled at his small visitor, still holding his towel against his face. When finally, with a hint of impatience, his visitor barked at him yet again and Zei abruptly remembered his promise that the kitsune would always be welcomed in his home.

Quickly he showed the kitsune into the main living area of his home, which served as his study as well.

All of sudden, the kitsune uttered a rather disapproving sound, and much to Zei's dismay - he realized why.

Now, Zei was the neat sort, not the cluttery sort of professor. The stacks of books and buckets of scrolls on the furniture and on the floor (which the kitsune was eyeing sternly) weren't there because Zei had dawdled in returning them back to the bookshelves but because he had more books than he had shelf space, despite having had bookshelves installed along most walls of his not so large home.

The kitsune didn't seem at all appeased by his explanation, and Zei, remembering how every book and scroll in the Knowledge Spirit's vast library had a proper place, found himself for the first time considering moving to a larger house before attempting to appease the annoyed kitsune by heading into the kitchen to fetch a treat for it.

Just as he had handed a strip of jerky to the kitsune, another knock came from the door. While the kitsune nibbled daintily at the jerky, the professor once again frowned with utmost puzzlement at his front door which upon being opened revealed yet another kitsune (this one, red in color) scratching at its left ear with its hind leg.

The first kitsune was done nibbling down its strip of jerky by the time the second kitsune had stopped scratching at its ear and proceeded into Zei's home. Fortunately, it wasn't as judgmental of Zei as its companion. Unfortunately, it appeared to have fleas, for it resumed scratching at its left ear soon after.

Zei had just returned from the kitchen with more jerky for the new arrival when there came more knocks on his door.

When Zei found a pair of identical blue-gray kitsunes with furiously wagging tails and hopeful wolfish grins at him, the professor knew then that his home was about to be invaded by kitsune.

-The End-

_Yes, Wan Shi Tong will be after his knowledge-seekers gone AWOL at Ba Seng Se University and Yup - Aang and co. will also get involved._

_I do hope you now feel a LOT better about Zei choosing to stay behind at the library. Have fun with your imagination!_


End file.
